Aso blasts North Korea's nuclear test as 'grave challenge' to NPT regime; Japan and the US outline draft UNSC resolution on the nuclear test; Japan to impose outright exports ban on North Korea
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    • In the backdrop of the North Korean Nuclear test Prime Minister Taro Aso said on March 25 that North Korea's reported nuclear test is a "grave challenge" to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime and a clear violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution banning the North from nuclear activity1. This has lead to opinions which suggest that Japan should consider developing the capability to conduct pre-emptive military strikes given North Korea’s nuclear test. “North Korea poses a serious and realistic threat to Japan … We must look at active missile defense such as attacking an enemy’s territory and bases,” former defense chief Gen Nakatani said in Tokyo at a meeting of Liberal Democratic Party officials2. Meanwhile Japan has decided to impose an outright ban on exports to North Korea as part of its efforts to toughen sanctions on Pyongyang following its nuclear test, government sources said3.

    On the other hand Japan and the US have outlined a draft resolution of the U.N. Security Council over North Korea's second nuclear test. This was reported by U.N. diplomatic sources4. While there have been reports which suggest that Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed on the need for the U.N. Security Council to adopt a new resolution on North Korea, including additional sanctions against the country for conducting a nuclear test, a Japanese government official said5.

    In other developments, the Japanese government decided that it will promote "Green New Deal" policies to expand the nation's markets related to environmental conservation and build a society where environmental policies will not hamper economic growth. This is according to a draft of the 2009 white paper on the environment6.

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